Hair extension and method of attachment

ABSTRACT

An enhanced apparatus and method are provided for adding length and bulk to natural hair using hair extensions comprising an elongated strip having a plurality of apertures through which natural hair is pulled, the natural hair threaded into a bead which adhesive qualities after threading.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

This invention relates to hair enhancement apparati and methods, and more particularly relates to hair extensions and methods of attachment of hair extensions.

Description of the Related Art

Hair extensions are typically used in enhancing personal appearance by artificially lengthening hair or to add body and fullness existing hair. Hair extensions are typically made from natural or synthetic hair, but

To facilitate attachment to users' hair, hair extension products typically affix using clips and/or tape. Clip-on extensions must be re-applied daily and tape becomes gooey. All hair extensions in the art damage natural hair and cannot be combed but must be treated very delicately. The liquid adhesive used in some traditional systems discolors and hair and caused hair to stick to itself.

There exists a need in the art for a hair extension system and method of attachment which overcomes these shortcomings in the prior art.

SUMMARY

From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for an improved hair extension and method of attachment. The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available liquid disinfectant systems. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide a hair extension comprising: a plurality of elongated hairs affixed at a top end to an elongated strip; the elongated strip positioned superiorly to the hair, the hair distributed evenly along a width of the elongated hair, wherein the elongated strip defines a plurality of apertures through which natural hair be pulled; and a plurality of cylindrical beads comprising adhesive, the cylindrical beads threaded onto natural hair pulled through the apertures.

The elongated strip may be one of transparent and translucent.

The elongated strip may be between 4 mm and 10 mm in height. The beads may comprise adhesive adapted to adhere to natural hair when wetted. The apertures may be parallel to one another and spaced at regular intervals across the width of the elongated strip.

A second hair extension comprising: a plurality of elongated hairs affixed at a top end to a first elongated strip; the first elongated strip positioned superiorly to the hair, the hair distributed evenly along a width of the elongated hair, wherein the first elongated strip defines a plurality of apertures through which natural hair be pulled; a plurality of cylindrical beads comprising adhesive, the cylindrical beads threaded onto natural hair pulled through the apertures; and a second elongated strip positioned inferiorly to the first elongated strip, wherein the second elongated strip defines a plurality of apertures through which natural hair be pulled without beads positioned behind the second elongated strip.

The first elongated strip may be one of transparent and translucent.

The second elongated strip may be smaller in width than the first elongated strip. The first elongated strip may be between 4 mm and 10 mm in height.

The beads may comprise adhesive adapted to adhere to natural hair behind the first elongated strip when wetted. The apertures may be spaced at irregular intervals across one of the first elongated strip and the second elongated strip.

Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a forward perspective view illustrating one embodiment of an improved hair extension in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a forward perspective view illustrating one embodiment of an improved hair extension in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an environmental, side perspective view illustrating one embodiment of an improved hair extension in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a forward perspective view illustrating one embodiment of an improved hair extension in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of programming, software modules, user selections, network transactions, database queries, database structures, hardware modules, hardware circuits, hardware chips, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

The schematic flow chart diagrams included herein are generally set forth as logical flow chart diagrams. As such, the depicted order and labeled steps are indicative of one embodiment of the presented method. Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function, logic, or effect to one or more steps, or portions thereof, of the illustrated method. Additionally, the format and symbols employed are provided to explain the logical steps of the method and are understood not to limit the scope of the method. Although various arrow types and line types may be employed in the flow chart diagrams, they are understood not to limit the scope of the corresponding method. Indeed, some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of the method. For instance, an arrow may indicate a waiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration between enumerated steps of the depicted method. Additionally, the order in which a particular method occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order of the corresponding steps shown.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate perspective views of an improved hair extension 100 in accordance with the present invention.

The apparatus 100 comprises a polymeric strip 102 defining a plurality of apertures 104 a-f through which natural hair is pulled to secure the apparatus 100 in place. The apertures 104 may comprise simple slits cut into the strip 102. The strip 102 may be fabricated of a transparent or translucent material such that natural hair is visible through it. Alternatively, the artificial hair 106 is visible through the strip 102.

Natural or synthetic hair 106 is affixed to the strip 102 using means known to those of skill in the art, including adhesive or sewn threads. A comb is indicated at 204.

Bunches 208 of natural hair 206 are pulled through the apertures 104. Each bunch 208 of natural hair 206 is then threaded through a bead 202. These beads 202 may be formed from polymeric materials and/or adhesive materials. In some embodiments, the beads 202 are adapted to form an adhesive when wetted/moisturized with water manually by a hairdresser. The beads 202 may comprise 10-50% polyvinyl acetate by weight, 10-50% ethanol by weight, and 10-50% acetone by weight, and may have water (H₂O) added to the composition manually by a hairdresser applying the hair extension 100 to a user.

In various embodiments, the beads 202 comprise roughly spherical globs of glue/adhesive which are adapted to be manually pressed over the bunches 208 of hair.

In some embodiments, the beads 202 comprise cylindrical tubular components, or annular components 202 a-b, which affix over the bunches 208 of hair and form a friction fit therewith.

FIG. 4 is a forward perspective view illustrating one embodiment of an improved hair extension 400 in accordance with the present invention.

In various embodiments, the hair extension 400 comprises two or more strips 102, 408. The top strip 102 spans the width of the hair extension 400 while other strips 408 span either the width of the extension 400 or a partial width of the extension 400. Secondary strips 408 are affixed a midpoint on a plurality of hair strands 410. The extension 400 may comprise 2-10 strips. The secondary strips 408 may comprise apertures 406 through which strands 410 threaded through the apertures 104 may be threaded again, helping keep strands 410 straight. In various embodiments, no beads 202 are positioned behind the apertures 406 such that the secondary strip 406 may be pulled from the hair extension 400 at a later time after hair strands 410 have set into a predetermined styling position.

In some embodiments, the apertures 404 are staggered in vertical position across the strip 102 such that every other (or every even) aperture 404 a, 404 c is higher on the strip than every odd aperture 404 b, 404 d. In other embodiments, the apertures 404 are irregularly spaced across the strip 102 both in horizontal and vertical positions relative to one another.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hair extension comprising: a plurality of elongated hairs affixed at a top end to an elongated strip; the elongated strip positioned superiorly to the hair, the hair distributed evenly along a width of the elongated hair, wherein the elongated strip defines a plurality of apertures through which natural hair be pulled; and a plurality of cylindrical beads comprising adhesive, the cylindrical beads threaded onto natural hair pulled through the apertures.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongated strip is one of transparent and translucent.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongated strip is between 4 mm and 10 mm in height.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beads comprise adhesive adapted to adhere to natural hair when wetted.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apertures are parallel to one another and spaced at regular intervals across the width of the elongated strip.
 6. A hair extension comprising: a plurality of elongated hairs affixed at a top end to a first elongated strip; the first elongated strip positioned superiorly to the hair, the hair distributed evenly along a width of the elongated hair, wherein the first elongated strip defines a plurality of apertures through which natural hair be pulled; a plurality of cylindrical beads comprising adhesive, the cylindrical beads threaded onto natural hair pulled through the apertures; and a second elongated strip positioned inferiorly to the first elongated strip, wherein the second elongated strip defines a plurality of apertures through which natural hair be pulled without beads positioned behind the second elongated strip.
 7. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first elongated strip is one of transparent and translucent.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second elongated strip is smaller in width than the first elongated strip.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first elongated strip is between 4 mm and 10 mm in height.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beads comprise adhesive adapted to adhere to natural hair behind the first elongated strip when wetted.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apertures are spaced at irregular intervals across one of the first elongated strip and the second elongated strip. 